Line casting machine



July 5, 1932. J w BITTNER 1,866,445

LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ja 1555a???- INVENTOR' ATTORNEY July 5, 1932. I J w B|TTNER 1,866,445

LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a y NBiffyer INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1932 -nrr si sr JOHN W. BITTI-TER, F VIE-ST FOB/EST HILLS; LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, ASSZG-HGB TO INTERTYEE CORPORATIGN, OF BROOKLYN, lIEW YORK, A CQRPQRATION OF NEW YORK LINE CASTING MACHINE Application filed June 30, 1931. Serial No. 547,99

The present invention relates to improve ments in line casting machines-andimore especially to those of the general classshown and described: in U. S. Letters Patent No. 486,532 granted September 16, 1890 to O. Mergenthaler, wherein matrices-bearing type formingcharacters are assembled in a line and the line is lowered by a soca lled first elevator to a position in front of a mold and the mold is then brought forward'to form. a metal-tight locl r-up with the matrix line, after which the molten type'metal is injected into the mold to cast a type bar-or slug against the character bearing face-of thematrix line, following which the mold breaks away and recedes from the matrix line and the elevator then operates to: remove the matrix. line {or distribution of the matrices therefrom, and the invention relates more particularly to machines of this class as now generally con structed which are adapted to use matrices provided with type forming characters at upper and lower leveistthereon andiwhich-embody means for stoppingthe. descent of the elevator ateither a lower or an upper alinement position to bring the upper or lower matrix characters.v to the casting level relatiwelyi to the mold.

In the operation: oii machines of this class aszhereto'foreconstructed, in casting. from-the matrix line while the latter is positioned at vthe'upper' castingievel, the; elevator supportingirthe matrix line usually sags. or drops slightly when the mold. brexs away from the matrix line, and, this. hasv caused. damage to and mutilation: of the type characters cast on; the-typebar or sing, and the. object: of the presentiinvention is to providemeansfor supporting the elevator and. the. matrix line thereinat such tnnetio prevent such sagging or dropping and thereby avoidxsuch damage or. mutilation ofthetype characters.

In the. accompanying drawings:

l is anend elevation ofa portion of aline casting machine embodying. the present invention;

Fig. 2 is. a" verticalf section taken through the upper portion; of the firstel-evator and through; the. mold and cooperative. parts of the? machine;

of the machine are mounted, 2 representing the so-called first elevator which is guided to reciprocate'vertically in suitable guides on the usual vise frame 3, the head l ofthe elevator having a-ws 5 asusual which form a channel to receive a; line-of matrices M and spacebands S- which are previously composed in the assembling mechanism of the machine and transferred in the usual and well known way tothe first elevator while thelat-ter is positioned at a suitable receiving level- The firstel evator, after receiving the matrix line, is lowered to present the matrix line in front of a mold 6 which is formed as usual with a slot 7 in which atype bar or slug is to be cast, the body of the mold being formed on its face with upper and lower grooves 8 and 9 to form upper and lower rails against which the lower rear lugs or ears on the matrices areadapted to aline,

and. the mold is carried by a-inold wheel or disk 10Which is mounted as usual on a slide so that it is movahle forwardly and" rearwardly to bring it into engagement with the rear face of the matrix linepreparatory to a cast and to recede therefrom, followingthe cast, to permit rising of the first elevator and the matrixline, following whic'ht-he matrices and spaceha'nds composing the line are distributed in the usual well known way.

VV'hile the mold is in engagement with the matrix line and the slot or cavity 7 therein is alined with the type forming characters in the matrices, molten metal is injected into the mold to cast the type barorslug, the injection. of the molten metal being effectedv usually from a metal pot, the'throat 1110f which is: provided with. amouthpiece .12-

class for this purpose;

In line casting machines of this class as now commonly constructed, matrices having type forming characters punched or other-' wise formed in intaglio at different levels therein are used, and the matrix lines are presented to the mold at difierent levels according to whether the type bar or slug is to be cast from the lower or upper matrix characters. The first elevator is usually lowered and raised to carry the matrix line therein to and from a position in front of the mold by a lever 13 which is pivoted to the main frame of the machine at 14 and is connected by a longitudinally compressible link 15 to the elevator, and the lever 13 is connected to an arm 16 which carries a roller 17 which rides on the periphery of a cam 18 under the weight of the elevator, this cam being mounted on the main cam shaft 19 of the machine which is set into operation at an appropriate time in the cycle of operations of the machine, as is well known in the art. The cam 18 has a portion 20 with which the roller 17 cooperates while the elevator is in its lowermost position, a portion 21 with which said roller cooperates while the elevator is lifted slightly from its lowermost position to bring the lugs or ears on the matrices into alinement beneath one of the alining rails on the mold, a slightly recessed portion 22 which the roller 17 enters and allows the lifting force exerted on the elevator to be relaxed to relieve the upward pressure of the matrix ears on the alining rail of the mold, and the portions 23 and 24 on the cam cooperate with the roller 17 to lift the elevator successively to its uppermost or matrix line removing position and to its intermediate or matrix line receiving position.

The vise cap 25 on the viseframe 3 is provided with an alining bar 26 which is slidable horizontally in a groove in the top of the vise cap and the alining bar is provided with one or more pins 27 which project upwardly above its surface, the alining bar being shiftable to bring it or one of the pins thereon into position beneath a banking screw 28 mounted in the head 4 of the elevator, the screw 28 engaging-directly on the upper side of the bar 26 when the elevator descends to its lowermost level .as when the upper character punchings in the matrices are to be alined with the mold, and the screw 28 engaging on the top of one of the pins 27 to arrest the descent of the elevator at a relatively higher alinement level, as when the lower character punchings, or character punchings at a third or auxiliary level as in three-letter matrices or matrices with very large oneletter display characters are to be alined with the mold.

In the normal operation of a machine of tl is class and when casting from matrix lines presented to the mold in the normal or lowermost position, which brings the upper matrix characters into position to be alined with the mold slot, the first elevator 2 moves downwardly under control of the cam .18 until the banking screw 28 rests on the top of the slidable alining bar 26, the portion 20 of the cam 18 then engaging the roller 17. Immediately thereafter, the mold wheel 10 carrying the mold 6 in which a slug is to be cast, advances against the line of matrices in the first elevator, and the metal pot advances until its mouthpiece 12 seats firmly against and forms a metal-tight seal with the back of the mold. In order to permit the lower lugs or ears on the matrices to freely enter the alining grooves in the mold, the machine is so constructed as to allow a slight clearance between the upper edges of the matrix ears and the upper face of the mold alining groove 9 when the first elevator is seated on the alining bar 26. After the matrix ears have fully entered the alining groove, the first elevator rises from the alining bar 26 a distance equal to the clearance provided between the matrix ears and the mold alining groove, as described above, in order to press the lower lugs or cars onthe matrices firmly upwardly against the upper face of the mold alining groove in order to insure perfect alinement of the matrices, and this slight rise of the elevator to aline the matrices against the mold is efiected by the continued rotation of the cam 18 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, which brings the slightly raised portion 21 of the cam into engagement with the roller 17, the movement thus imparted to the roller 17 by the raised portion 21 on the cam being transmitted to the first elevator 2 through the arm 16 and lever 13 and through the yielding or compressible link 15 which connects the lever 13 to the first elevator.

Immediately after the slug is cast in the mold, the cam 18 will have reached a position where the roller 17 is in contact therewith at the recessed portion 22, and the gradual recession or dropping away of this portion of the cam, which is followed by the roller 17, causes the upward drive or lifting force exerted on the elevator to become relaxed, in consequence of which the upper edges of the matrix ears move'slightlydownwardlyor away from the upper face ofrthe lower mold alining groove, during the breaking away or retraction of the mold from thematrixline, so.- that the matrix ears will not becaused to drag against the upper wall of the mold groove during disengagement therefrom and thereby cause objectionable Wear on' the. parts, although the yielding link 15 will be sufficientlyv compressed during erally thesame as just described except that the first elevator is stopped in its descent by a high-alinement pin 27 on the alining bar 26, and is lifted from this pin to aline the matrix ears against the mold preceding the cast.

Tliishigher position occupied by the first elevat-or, however, causes-the rollerli' to leave contact with the cam 18 when the recessed or receding portion 22 of-the'cam comes oppO- site to-the roller, because the firstelevator is arrested-in its descent by the high alinement pin 27, and theroller'17, lever 13 and link 15 are then unable-to support the-first elevator in such high alinementposition. Consequently, when the. mold reacts or breaks awayfrom thematrix line'following the cast at theupper alinement position of 'the first elevator, the latter has'heretofore been permitted to drop onto the high alinement pin, and theweightof the first elevatorwhi-eh was brought to bear on 'the' type character face of the slug--- and which still pirojeetedinto :the character punchings of the matrices, which latter are heldimmovably in the jaws of'the first elevator, has subjected the typecharacter face to ashearing -a-ction which", due to the softness ofzthe type metal composing the slug, damaged or mutilated the type-characters, the compression of the-yielding link 15 being insufficient-to avoid dropping of the first elevator when thermold breaks-away, owing to the higher position then occupied by the first elevator.

The present invention provides means-for sustaining the weightof the first elevator, duringcastingfrom the matrix line while in thehigh alinement position, when the roller 17 is, over theportion-22 of the cam,18 and hence the elevator is unsupported bythe cam 18 against dropping; during" the break-away of the-mold :or withdrawal of the. characters 011713116 slug from the-character punchings in the matrices; from 'whichthe slug was cast, thereby-avoiding damage or mutilation of the cast type. characters,- especially those having in the upper sideofthevise cap 25,-and hav-'-' ing steps 2.9 -on its upper surface; one or another of which is adapted toengage beneath anedge of, the firstelevator head as at- 31, these steps being graduated in height according to the different alinement,levelsewhieh' the first elevatormay occupy to holditsuhstantially in I its; lifted matrix ajlining position at the, different levels duringthe breakaway of the mold from the matrixline. The

block is movable into apositionbetweenthe 1 visecap and the first elevator head to bring one of its uppersteps into engagement with the latter while the banking screw 2,8-is lifted above the correspondinghigh alinement pin 27, as when the lugs-0r earson the-matricesj V.

are-lifted into alinement; against the; upper edge of the upper alining grooveS-ca-the mold by the engagement "of therais ed portion 21 0f the cam with the roller-'17, the block thensupporting the first elevator substantially in its lifted'matrix aliningposition or againstdropping back onto-the :pin- 27' while the mold breaks away and-recedes from the matrix line, the block being retracted'from beneath the elevator head' inthe intervals:

between the casting operations; Asishown, the slidab-le block isoperatively connectedto an end of a rod 32 which is guidedto slide longitudinally in a bearing 33 formed :ona bracket 34 which latter is fixed'to thevi-seieap, 1

the rod 32 h'avinga-collar 35 fixed thereon and having a spring-36 whichbears at its-ends against the bearing 33 and collar 35 and acts yieldingly 'to move the block 29 in a-direetion to assume a position beneath th first elevator head. The outer end of the rod 32=is pivotally connected to, one: arm of a;- bellerank lever 37 which is pivoted at 38 to an arm 39, the latter being fixed-to the bracket-.34,

and the other arm: of the bellcrank lever-is connected to an operating rod i0, which as shown 1s reclprocatory .vertlcally.

The rod 40 may bezactuatedto set'the block 29 in andoutof operative position beneath the head of the-first elevator by any suitably timed moving, part of thezmac-hine, thus effeeting automatic operation of thezfirstelevator supportingbloek; It hasbeen found for example that thee-roller. 4:1 onthe usual ju ifying lever.- 42, which is 'EPlVOtGLl, ion, the

with its cam 44 in the position shown in 'Fig. 1 at the moment the break-away of the mold from the matrix line takes place, and the justifying lever 42 is shown in the pres ent instance as utilized to effect the operation of the block controlling rod 40, the forked end 45 of this ustifying lever being provided with a'pin 46 and the lower end of the rod 40 being provided with a vertically elongated slot 47 in which the pin 46 operates under the control of the cam 44 and the spring 48 which acts to lift the justifying lever and to main ta-in its roller 41 in contact with said cam.

In operation, the lever 42, through contact of its roller 41 with its controlling cam 44, is held down except when the roller 41 is in the depressions in the contour of said cam,

so that the pin 46 will be at the bottom of the slot 47 in the rod 40 and the latter will be held down, in consequence of which the block 29 will be held in retracted position against the action of the spring 86, the block being then clear of thehead of the first elevator. However, as soon as the roller 41 enters the depression 49 in the cam 44, which occurs from the lower end of the slot 47 and allowing the spring 36 to expand and shift the rod 32 toward the left in Fig. 3, thereby moving the block 29 into position beneath the edge of the head of the first elevator, as shown in Fig. 3. At this time the first elevator will have been lifted to aline the matrix lugs or ears against the upper edge of the upper alining groove 8 in the mold, the banking screw 28 being lifted above the high alinement pin 27, and moving of the block beneath the head of the first elevator will cause the block to support the first elevator against dropping more than very small amount such as .001" or .002" which will be sufficient to relax the upward pressure of the matrix lugs against the mold while the mold breaks away from the matrix line, notwithstanding that the roller 17 at this time is opposite to the recess 22 and is out of contact with the cam 18, such slight dropping of the first elevator during the break-away being permitted without damaging the type characters due to the usual tapered form of such characters and of the "matrix character punchings in which they are cast.

Furtherrotation of the cam 44 will carry the depression 49 therein past the roller 41 as shown in Fig. 1 and cause the pin 46 in the lever 42 to engage the lower end of the slot 47 in the rod or link 40, thereby pulling the latter downwardly and withdrawing the block 29 from the path of the head of the first elevator. At this period in the normal cycle of operations of the machine, however,

the slug has been cast and the mold has been retracted in the usual manner so that the drop of the first elevator back to the position where the banking screw 28 contacts with the alining pin 27 will occur after the type character bearing edge of the slug has been completely withdrawn from the character punchings in the matrices, and hence no damage can occur to the type bearing edge of the slug, the break-away of the mold from the matrix line having taken place while the first elevator is held up off its alining pin 27 by the block 29.

F or casting slugs from the upper characters on the matrices, the alining bar 26 is moved toward the right in Fig. 3 by the operator so that the first elevator can descend until its banking screw 28 rests directly on the top of this bar, and while the block 29 will advance andretract as above described during casting from the matrix line while vthe first elevator is at the lower or normal alinement level, only the lowermost step on the block will enter beneath the head of the first elevator, due to the lower position then occupied by the elevator head, but since this lowermost step of the block is of a height which will support the first elevator substan tially in its lifted matrix alining position at thelower alineinent level and will permit the roller 17 to enter the depression 22 in the cam 18, and the first elevator is always supported by the roller 17 which remains in contact with the cam 18, due to the degree of compression of the yielding link 15, while the first elevator is at the lower alinement level, the block 29 will then allow the first elevator to drop slightly from its lifted matrix alining position to relax the pressure on the matrix lugs when the depression 22 in the cam reaches the roller 17 during the mold break-away, as usual while casting at the lower alinement level, but will be a safeguard against undue dropping of the elevator in case of wear of the cam or misadjustment of the link spring.

t will be understood that while the degree of compression of the usual spring in the link 15 is insuliicient to support the elevator in its lifted matrix alining position at the upper alinement level when the rollers 17 is opposite to the recession 22 in the cam, at which time the break-away of the mold and the slug cast therein from the matrix line takes place, the raised portion 21 -of the cam is suiliciently high to compress the link to a or lower alinement level, the increased lifting force exerted on the roller 17 by the raised portion 21 while casts are being made at the lower alinement level being taken up by the yielding link 15, and that when the low portion 20 of the cam is opposite to the roller 17 while casting at the lower alinement level the elevator may descend fully to its lowermost position since the yielding link is then compressed sufficiently under the weight of the elevator.

I claim as my invention 1. In a line casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, an elevator for presenting a line of matrices thereto, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a lock-up therewith, and means for lifting the elevator to aline the matrices against the mold, means independent of the elevator lifting means for holding the elevator substantially in its lifted matrix alining position.

2. In a line casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, an elevator for presenting a line of matrices thereto, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a lock-up therewith and for retracting the mold after a cast has been made, and means for lifting the elevator prior to the cast to aline the matrices against the mold, means operative by a part of the machine independent of the elevator lifting means for supporting the elevator in substantially its lifted matrix alining position during retraction of the mold.

3. In a line casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, an elevator for presenting a line of matrices to the mold at upper and lower levels, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a lockup therewith, and means for exerting a lift ing force on the elevator to lift it from either of said levels to aline the matrices against the mold and for subsequently relaxing such lifting force, means, operative while said lifting force is relaxed, to hold the elevator substantially in its lifted matrix alining position at the upper level.

4. In a line casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, an elevator for presenting a line of matrices to the mold at upper and lower levels, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a. lock-up therewith and for retracting the mold after a cast has been made, and means for exerting a yielding lifting force on the elevator to lift it from either of said levels to aline the matrices against the mold prior to the lockup and for relaxing such lifting force prior to the retraction of the mold, means operative by a part of the machine independent of the elevator lifting means to support the elevator substantially in its lifted matrix alining position at the upper level and inoperative after retraction of the mold.

5. In a. line casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, an elevator for presenting a line of matrices thereto, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a lock-up therewith, means for lifting the elevator to aline the matrices against the mold and means for ustifying the matrix line presented to the mold, means operative by such justifying means for holding the elevator substantially in its lifted matrix alining position.

6. In a line casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, an elevator for presenting a line of matrices thereto, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a'lock-up therewith, and means for lifting the elevator to aline the matrices against the mold, a support movable into direct supporting engagement with the elevator to hold it substantially in its lifted matrix alining position.

7. In a line casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, an elevator for presenting a line of matrices thereto, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a lock-up therewith, and means for lifting the elevator to aline the matrices against the mold, a block movable into and out of supporting relation with respect to the elevator to hold it substantially in its lifted matrix alining position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN W. BITTNER. 

